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Tuesday, 5 January 2016

DECEMBER CATCHUP

Hello! Long time no speak. I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

It's been a little while since I last blogged, but I've really enjoyed a few weeks away from my laptop, after 22 days straight of blogging in December! I was doing so well with blogmas (and had planned to blog right up to the 24th), but my birthday rolled round, my best friend arrived in town, and fun and frolics took over!

Here's what December looked like for me...

Instagram username: @eversojuliet

1. I had a few flying trips to London this month with work, which were pretty exhausting but also surprisingly fun! I got to go to the Palace of Westminster with a client, which was quite surreal - the building is SO beautiful and ornate, we were greeted by a choir at the entrance, and I accidentally took home-soldered flashing circuits with me (for work!) and had to explain to the intense security team that they weren't anything dodgy. Oops.2. This is the first Christmas that I've had Soba, which brought the JOY of posing him next to Christmas ornaments that are the same size as him. So cute, I die.3. It was so fun decorating my new flat for Christmas - I still haven't taken any decorations down yet (they aren't going anywhere until my holiday is over!), but I don't want to, they're so pretty! I got my tree from Ikea as part of their 'buy a £25 tree, get a £20 voucher' deal, and I've been so pleased with it - it's hardly dropped any needles and fits so nicely into my living room! Now I just need to work out what to put in the space when it goes...4. As a massive space geek I was SO excited to be part of the Scottish celebration of Tim Peake's Principia launch. Edscifest ran activities all day in the National Museum of Scotland, and we watched the launch live, with astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti (aka the coolest woman alive) talking us through everything.5. It was my 30th birthday this month, so I threw a super indulgent ginger-themed party. Joshua designed my birthday invites and made me these really cool ginger hairspray cans to use as props at the party.6. My party was so much fun! I normally don't organise anything properly for my birthday as it's just a few days before Christmas, but as this felt like a big occasion (I cannot believe I'm 30) I held my party a few weeks early so my friends could make it. Everyone made such a big effort in dressing up, I had a gingerbread girl cake, massive balloons, and the nicest gang of pals to spend time with.7. Just before Christmas I went to an immersive screening of Mean Girls, put on by the super creative Jelly & Gin. It was so much fun - we had a box of themed drinks and treats that matched the movie perfectly, including candy cane grams and a burn book cocktail.8. After possibly the most stressful week at work ever, the Christmas holidays rolled round, and Joshua whisked me off on a secret birthday adventure. We arrived at the incredible Brockloch Treehouse, an amazing cabin in the trees in the middle of nowhere. It was the nicest ever surprise, and we're already dreaming about when we can go back.9. I don't normally brag about gifts, but forgive me for this one - I was just so touched by my dinosaur-themed birthday present from Josh! I got a personalised lego set (!), a really excellent feminist dinosaur badge, a Jeff Goldblum patch, and a necklace made from real fossilised amber (with insects in it!). The best!10. Back home, and my actual birthday finally rolled round. It's weird being 30! I don't mind it, but I just don't feel grown up enough to be a proper adult yet! Saying that, I've got a good job, I bought a flat this year, I occasionally shop in Waitrose. Is that adulting? I'm still obsessed with dinosaurs and I play a lot of video games and watch cartoons. Is that adulting too?11. Christmas rolled round, and it was a really lovely, relaxing time. Josh & I spent Christmas Day at my flat, cooking too much food for two people (I made custard for the first time!), watching movies, playing games, and being super lazy. Boxing Day was round two with pals, more games, and a roast goose! I still feel full.12. And to round off my super relaxing Christmas break, I booked into the Lush Spa to spend my birthday voucher (thanks Mum!) on one of their spa treatments. I went for the Comforter, a seriously indulgent treatment where you get scrubbed with chocolate scrub and doze in a room full of candyfloss bubbles. So lovely!

Now I'm coming to the end of my holidays and trying to get my head back into real-life mode. I always try and take a bit of extra time off at the start of the year to sort my house out and enjoy the quiet of days by myself, reading, pottering about, and taking in the new year. January is always a trying month - I have scary deadlines at work, and the days are dark and grim, but I'm feeling cheery. Bring it on.